Did I panic you when I asked to see your database? Be honest. Do you even have one? I estimate less than 5% of agents under a year in the business even have a ‘purged’ (up to date) database! And, I estimate less than 25% of all agents have even any sort of populated database. How are they gathering and managing all those contacts they are getting from their lead generation? They aren’t–or they aren’t lead generating.
Social Networking has Taken the Place of Databases, Carla–You old Fuddy-Duddy…..
I know. You just love social networking. You could spend hours on it (in fact, you do). You go to all those classes on social networking, and, by golly, you know more about it than your manager. Don’t get too cocky yet. There are two problems you’re creating for yourself by relying on social networking:
1. You are probably spending too much time at your computer and not enough time meeting real people and forming relationships. Remember, buying a home is not like buying a set of knives. You’ll have to work hard to establish a trusting relationship. Most of us aren’t good enough at writing to do that without finally meeting someone.
2. You are not gathering your future goldmine–your database full of people who are going to love you and what you do.
Who do you ‘Own’?
Here’s the problem with relying on the social networking sites to keep track of your potential clients. You don’t own them. The social networking site could go out of business. It could start charging you. It could sell your contacts. That’s why you need to ‘own’ those contacts in your own database. Now, you can create a marketing plan. You can communicate with those people on a schedule.
Start and Populate your Database Intensely
You’re a newer agent. You want to make money fast. You want to establish a solid long-term career. Become a ‘database freak’ so that you can remember all those wonderful people you met. Lead generation is the most important part of the sales business. Doing a lot of it assures high income. That means tracking all those people you meet. It takes more than one communication to create a loyal client.
New Agent Key to Success: Right Priorities
Those of you who have used Up and Running in 30 Days (now in its 4th edition) to start your careers know that I have worked hard to prioritize your business for you so that you are successful quickly, and gain business management habits for life. I’ve prioritized types of business, best sources of leads, and all the activities you’ll do to get started quickly. I want you to prioritize your technology activities, too. Remember, you’re a salesperson.
Become that database freak and see your business develop quickly. Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose all those contacts you’ve worked so hard to get?
